Komets Player Spotlight: Gabriel Desjardins

FORT WAYNE, IN— For my second edition of Komets Player Spotlight, I decided to go with a player who has been on a bit of a hot streak lately: Gabriel Desjardins.

Gabriel made his pro debut during the 2013-14 season in the AHL, appearing in nine games with Lake Erie. During the 2014-15 season, he split the season between the ECHL’s Florida Everblades and Charlotte of the AHL, playing in 41 combined games and collecting 18 points (8G, 10A).

During the 2015-16 season, Gabriel skated the season with the Everblades logging 70 games. He finished the season with 11 goals, 21 assists and 32 points.

On June 29, 2016, he agreed to terms with Fort Wayne, and is currently in his second season with the club. He played in 64 games during the 2016-17 season and finished with 20 goals, 26 assists, and 46 points.

This season is very likely to end up being a career-year for Desjardins, who currently has 22 goals, 20 assists, and 42 points. He recorded his second hat trick of the year on Saturday against the Wheeling Nailers. In addition, has eight goals and 11 points in the last seven games, and sits just six assists and four points away from notching career highs in both categories.

I caught up with Desjardins recently, and had a chance to ask him about the team’s success so far this season:

“It is a great feeling obviously. The team is playing great hockey all around and we have competition in front. So it makes all the boys push even more and it is fun to watch, and even more fun to play with each other! We have a special group and we definitely can make something big if we want to!”

The Komets return to action tonight, when they play the Wichita Thunder, in a rematch of Wednesday night’s 9-3 trouncing. From there, the Komets’ will play a home-and-home series with the Quad City Mallards to round out the weekend.